The Night Box

By Author / Illustrator

Louise Greig, Ashling Lindsay

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Egmont UK Ltd

ISBN

9781405283762

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

29-06-2017

Synopsis

Nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Teach Primary Book Awards and the Klaus Flugge Prize.

An enchanting bedtime story about a small boy who is the custodian of night, from talented new picture book author and poet, Louise Greig, with beautifully atmospheric illustrations by Ashling Lindsay.

Max has a key and a box of midnight blue.
When he turns the key in the lock -
WHOOSH!

Day slips inside as Night sweeps out.
Darkness tumbles into the air.
It dances and whirls around the room.
It goes under the bed, under the chair - everywhere!

Louise Greig's lyrical voice and Ashling Lindsay's warm, endearing illustrations hold a candle up to the magical nature of night-time in this soothing picture book. Perfect for cosying up to read and share before bedtime, The Night Box is an original bedtime tale that sits perfectly alongside classics such as The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark - great for reassuring little ones who have a fear of the dark and calming down lively children before bedtime!

\"Tender and domestic, luminous and star-shot, Lindsay's illustrations perfectly complement Greig's soaring, unrhymed poetry, creating a sense of night's scale, richness and enveloping magic\" - The Guardian

\"A reassuring bedtime read for any young child, but particularly for those with a fear of the dark\" - Picture Books Blogger

\"Weaves magic with every word\" - The Herald

Reviews

The Night Box is a truly wonderful tale of how day becomes night and night becomes day. Centred around the main character of Max, we see how day slowly begins to get ready to 'sleep' and how the environment around him begins to show these signs, too. What I really enjoyed was how the author made day and night feel like 'real' beings, with their own feelings and senses. Max, without referring directly to it, comes across as someone with immense power purely because of the fact he has the special key. A key that opens the night box, a midnight blue box where night is stored away until day has finished. I found myself asking why has Max been chosen to have the box? What made him so special? Does his mum know about his special key and what he is responsible for? This book, although initially aimed at a younger audience, would be fantastic to use across the whole primary school range as each year group would find a deeper and different level of meaning. The text is supported by some beautiful illustrations which are in keeping with the calm nature of the book. Open to innovation, this book could be used within a English lesson or sequence in both KS1 and KS2. I read this to my Y1 class and they all enjoyed the way day was drawn back into the box as night swooped out. I also feel that a wonderful art project could stem from this book with children creating their own night boxes and filling them with 'night' or 'day'. A lovely text which I enjoyed very much. Picture book / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher.